Chapter 445 The City of Machines <TOC> Chapter 447 Magic Puppet Fortress
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Translator: SumTLMan
When the teleportation light dissipated, under Bogula’s protection, the person behind him finally opened his eyes.
“Ah, we’re finally home.” Shadow’s voice came from beside Angel. Shadow reached out and put a hand on Angel’s shoulder, laughing and introducing: “This is the teleportation hall. I think the name is lame, it should be called the Bird’s Nest instead. The shape of this building is so similar to a bird’s nest.”
Since they were inside the hall, Angel couldn’t see how similar the building was to a bird’s nest, so he didn’t respond to Shadow’s comment, but instead curiously observed the surroundings.
At a glance, the mission hall was enormous, almost half the size of the central square in Tree Spirit Court. Just as far as the eye could see, there was a distance of four or five hundred meters. The entire teleportation hall was filled with dense blue barriers, and above them, screens flashed. The screens displayed flowing text, mainly information about the activation of certain teleportation formations.
For example, a certain teleportation formation was activated, and teleportation attendants should be ready to receive guests.
Another example, the teleportation formation to a certain place would be activated at a specific time, and those who wished to go should register at the teleportation service desk.
From what Angel could see, it was probably just a corner of the teleportation hall. However, many things can be inferred from the details, and from what he could see, he already had a basic impression of this famous mechanical city in the Southern Region.
Management, scale, and data. These were things Angel had not seen elsewhere. Relying on the advantages of mechanical alchemy, Sky Mechanical City had developed this unique operating model.
With just this one glance, Angel felt a great sense of excitement.
Angel began to look forward to what other surprises this mechanical city would bring him.
“Countryside bumpkin.”
A voice with a faint hint of resentment came from behind Angel to his right.
Angel glanced over, but the other party wasn’t looking at him, instead, they were playing with a card in their hand. It was an information card representing the qualification to enter the Purification Garden.
This was a strangely dressed young man. Black hair, black eyes, black eye circles, black clothes, black pants, black shoes. Apart from his exposed pale skin, he was almost entirely black. However, the black on him wasn’t outdated, but rather emphasized his unique style due to the many odd black straps and dense studs on his clothes and pants.
“I’m not talking about someone in particular.” He raised his head, his eyes under the black fringe showing a hint of disdain: “If someone wants to take it personally, there’s nothing I can do.”
Angel knew he was probably talking about himself, so he turned his head expressionlessly, not wanting to pay attention to someone with such inexplicable hostility.
Seeing this, the young man with dark eye circles showed a trace of an elusive emotion in his eyes. He glanced at Bogula standing in front, but in the end, he said nothing more.
Shadow moved its head closer to Angel’s face, pursed its lips in the direction of the young man with dark eye circles, and conveyed a message through its eyes: Do you want me to teach him a lesson?
Angel shook his head gently, his eyes signaling that it wasn’t necessary for now.
Speaking of this young man, a hint of doubt appeared in Angel’s eyes. When they left Silent Hill and were about to board the teleportation formation, the young man was already waiting there. Bogula didn’t seem surprised to see him and protected him when the teleportation formation was activated, which clearly indicated that Bogula knew him.
Angel also noticed that Shadow seemed to be familiar with the young man’s identity and couldn’t help but roll his eyes when he saw him.
From the activation of the teleportation formation to their arrival at the Sky Machinery City, Angel hadn’t had the chance to ask Shadow about the young man’s identity. And now, the stranger suddenly started provoking him?
Among the six people in the teleportation formation, or more precisely, five people and one cat, he was the only one visiting Sky Machinery City for the first time. So, it was undoubtedly him that the young man was being sarcastic about. Even though they had just met, Angel wondered where the young man’s hostility came from.
As Angel pondered, the blue barrier surrounding them slowly disappeared.
“This is a protective shield to defend against teleportation accidents and spatial turbulence,” Shadow explained to Angel.
As the flickering, faintly glowing blue shield vanished, Angel turned his attention to a woman outside the barrier. Unless there was a mistake, she should be the “Teleportation Attendant” indicated on the screen above their heads.
“Lord Bogula, welcome back. Teleportation Attendant Cecilia is at your service,” Cecilia greeted them with a warm smile.
“Get lost,” Bogula frowned.
Cecilia didn’t seem to be offended by Bogula’s attitude, and she smiled and naturally stepped aside.
Bogula led the group out of the hall.
As they walked, Shadow whispered to Angel: “These people are all wizard apprentices who took up the duty of serving as teleportation attendants. They provide explanation services for wizards who visit Sky Machinery City for the first time. It’s a cushy job, and if they meet a generous wizard, even the little things they receive can be of great use to the apprentices.”
“Speaking of which, I used to guard the teleportation hall too. Back then, I met a particularly generous wizard…” Shadow mumbled on for a while but realized that Angel hadn’t been listening to him and instead was frowning in thought.
“What are you thinking about?” Shadow asked curiously.
Angel hesitated for a moment: “Why do I feel like that Teleportation Attendant named Cecilia was staring at me the whole time?”
“Really?” Shadow pondered for a moment: “I’m clearly more manly than you. She has no taste.”
Shadow merely thought that Cecilia was attracted to Angel’s appearance, but Angel still felt a bit puzzled. He noticed that the woman seemed not to care about his looks but was carefully sizing him up with a strange look in her eyes.
Could she know me? Angel quickly dismissed this speculation. Perhaps he had some minor fame in the Savage Grottoes, but his renown wouldn’t have reached as far as the Wizarding World’s Sky City.
Soon, they left the mission hall.
What Angel didn’t know was that not long after they left, Cecilia’s communicator rang again:
“Mission completed.”
…
Before arriving at Sky Mechanical City, Angel had imagined its architectural style countless times. He once thought that the Wizarding World’s Sky City, capable of constructing railways, trains, and steam airships, should have an architectural style not much different from Earth’s cities shown in documentaries.
However, when he got up close and personal with this great mechanical city, Angel found that it was entirely different from what he had imagined.
The architectural style here had a hint of steel and concrete but was not like Earth’s urban landscapes; it leaned more towards a stronger version of a “Black Castle.”
The space was densely packed, with small paths crisscrossing, and buildings extending upward. There were iron walkways in the sky.
Even the metal structures didn’t have a pure “modern” or “technological” feel but instead possessed a post-punk style of fusion and chaotic beauty. Even the rusted iron sheets on the building exteriors seemed to have their purpose.
Angel also noticed that, true to its reputation as a hub for the Wizarding World’s trade, a large portion of the city’s wealth passed through here, being heavily taxed in the process.
Whether it was the high-rise buildings or the streets, they were all filled with dense signs. This feeling was like the old streets in the city documentary “Hong Kong.”
However, compared to the unevenly arranged signs in the documentary, the signs here had no neon lights but carried a unique charm, with the power of magic runes everywhere.
Moreover, Angel casually looked up and saw several stores selling alchemical potions. The potion bottle signs were almost like a chain, differing only in size and color.
To think that in the Twilight Deep Well, Angel hadn’t seen many potion shops, yet here in just one corner of Sky City, he saw no less than four potion stores!
“If you want to buy something, you can tell me.”
As Angel was marveling, a voice accompanied by a “hehe” chuckle reached his ears.
“As long as you agree to become my magic puppet, you can have whatever you want.”
Angel’s astonishment was suddenly reined in. The speaker was, of course, Bogula. Since he had woken up, this was the first time Bogula had spoken to him, and the content of the conversation went straight to the core issue.
Angel looked down and said softly: “I don’t need anything.”
Bogula turned his head, staring at Angel with burning eyes, his snake-like tongue almost touching Angel’s earlobe: “I’m always waiting for you to ask me for something, hehehe…”
After saying that, Bogula suddenly flew into the sky: “Diavolo, take everyone back to my fortress, not one less.”
As Bogula’s figure flickered and disappeared, Shadow approached Angel and comfortingly said: “Don’t worry, I’ll help you escape.”
Before Shadow finished speaking, a sneering sound came from the dark-circled young man who had been following them.
“Diavolo, you’ve become much kinder than before,” said the young man, Farja, with a lingering and unpleasant voice.
Shadow sneered: “Farja, are you itching for a fight?”
Shadow narrowed his eyes and rolled up his sleeves, walking towards Farja, looking as if he was challenging him.
Farja hesitated for a moment, then quickly retreated a few steps, as seven or eight black bats emerged from behind him.
“I’ve been wanting to see if your skills are worthy of the title of genius,” said Farja, showing no fear despite being a full rank below Shadow, eager for a challenge.
Before Shadow could make a move, Farja directed the bats to attack him.
Shadow didn’t dodge or flinch, smiling at Farja. Just as Farja was puzzled, he heard a strange mechanical sound in his ear: “Beep beep—combat energy wave detected—”
A metallic eye suddenly appeared above Farja’s head: “Summoning formation wave detected—please stop casting immediately, or you will be added to the list of personnel to be expelled.”
Farja stared at Shadow across from him: “It was him who provoked… first.”
Shadow, however, was fixing his collar: “I was just straightening my collar, who’s fighting with you? Magic Eye, remember his face, and if he casts again, punish him severely!”
Frustrated, Farja pointed at Shadow and then at Angel: “I’ll remember you!”
You?
Angel, who had been unintentionally involved: “…” What just happened?
When the Magic Eye left, Shadow patted Angel on the shoulder: “I didn’t want to teach him a lesson, but he messed with me.”
Chapter 445 The City of Machines <TOC> Chapter 447 Magic Puppet Fortress